Hiring a Japanese Chef in Austria: Red-White-Red Card for Cooks

In Austria, restaurant cooks are on the nationwide shortage list for 2026, and the list goes into detail: it names sushi cooks explicitly. That opens the Red-White-Red Card for skilled workers in shortage occupations to a Japanese restaurant, provided the cook has the right training and enough points. This guide explains the route using the Austrian government's migration portal, as of September 2026.

1. The short version

Japan's foreign ministry counted 3,415 Japanese nationals in Austria on 1 October 2025, so the local pool of Japanese speaking cooks is small. For most Austrian Japanese restaurants, hiring from abroad is not optional.

2. Cooks on the 2026 shortage list, sushi cooks by name

Austria publishes its shortage occupations every year in a regulation from the Federal Minister for Labour and Economy (the Fachkräfteverordnung). There is a nationwide list and separate regional lists. For 2026, the nationwide list has 64 occupations. Number 47 is Gaststättenköche/Gaststättenköchinnen (restaurant cooks), and the job titles grouped under it include:

• Koch/Köchin, Restaurantkoch/-köchin, Alleinkoch/-köchin, Jungkoch/-köchin
• Chef de partie, Demichef de Cuisine, Commis de Cuisine, Souschef, Chef de Cuisine, Küchenchef/in
• Sushikoch/-köchin, alongside other specialties such as Pizzakoch/-köchin and Patissier(e)

Because the occupation is on the nationwide list, it applies throughout Austria, including Vienna. The regional lists add further hospitality jobs for particular provinces, such as waiting staff and some hotel roles.

3. The points test, worked through

A skilled worker in a shortage occupation needs at least 55 points out of a possible 90 (plus 5 bonus points for English where English is the main language of the company):

Worked example for a typical Japanese candidate. A 28 year old cook who completed a culinary school training and has five years in restaurants, with English at B1 and no German:

• Training in the occupation: 30
• Experience: 10 half years × 1 = 10
• English B1: 10
• Age up to 30: 15
• Total: 65, above the 55 needed.

A 42 year old cook with the same training, ten or more years' experience and no English or German would have 30 + 20 (capped) + 0 + 5 = 55, just enough. Completed training is also a condition of the route in its own right, separate from the points, so it is the requirement that decides most cases.

What counts as training

The migration portal says the candidate must show at least a completed vocational training comparable to a multi-year Austrian apprenticeship. Formal recognition is needed only for regulated professions, such as the health professions; for most occupations, the qualification is assessed from the documents submitted with the application. For a Japanese cook, that usually means a certificate from a culinary school (調理師学校) plus employment references. A cook who learned entirely on the job may struggle to meet the training requirement, whatever their experience.

4. Where and how to apply, including in Vienna

The application can be made in two ways:

• by the cook, in person, at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for their country of residence; or
• by the employer, at the competent residence authority in Austria. In Vienna that is the MA 35 (the city's immigration department). In Graz it is the Styrian provincial government; in Lower Austria the provincial government; elsewhere the district authority or, in statutory cities, the city magistrate.

The portal adds that the application can also be made at the residence authority after lawful entry and during a lawful stay, and that an application made in person during that time allows the person to remain in Austria even if a visa-free period or visa expires in the meantime. Ask the MA 35 how this applies to your candidate before relying on it.

With the application, the employer submits an employer's declaration (Arbeitgebererklärung) with details of the job. The cook provides a passport, a recent photo, proof of health insurance, and evidence for each points criterion: training certificates, employment references, and language certificates no older than five years. Documents not in German or English must be translated.

The authority forwards the file to the AMS, which checks the points, the training and whether the pay is adequate. If everything is in order, the AMS confirms this and the authority issues the card.

5. What the card allows, and what comes next

• The card is issued for 24 months and allows work only for the employer named in the application.
• If the cook changes employer during those two years, a new application is needed. The cook may provisionally start the new job 45 days after a complete application is filed.
• After at least 21 months of qualifying employment within 24 months, the cook can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus, which gives unrestricted access to the labour market.

On pay, the portal requires at least the minimum set by law, regulation or collective agreement, and any above-scale pay that is customary in the business. We did not verify a specific collective agreement rate for cooks for this guide; check the hospitality agreement that applies to you.

6. Working holiday

Austria and Japan have had a working holiday programme since 2016. Japan's foreign ministry lists 200 places a year. For a small Japanese community like Austria's, that is a useful but limited source of young cooks. See our overview of working holiday options in Europe.

7. An Austrian hiring plan

1. Confirm the role fits "Gaststättenköche" on the current year's list, and use a matching job title in the contract.
2. Check the candidate's training certificates first. Without completed training, the route fails.
3. Score the candidate against the points table. Aim for a margin above 55.
4. Prepare the employer's declaration and a contract at or above the collective agreement minimum.
5. Apply through the embassy, or as employer at the MA 35 in Vienna or the competent authority elsewhere.
6. Plan for renewal and the Red-White-Red Card plus after 21 months.

For neighbouring Germany, see our Germany guide. To reach Japanese cooks already in Europe, you can post a job on WashokuJob.

General information gathered from official sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. The shortage list changes every year; confirm with the AMS, the residence authority or a qualified adviser before acting.